WW2 buff creates ultimate 1940s man-cave in his garden

A Second World War buff has created his dream man cave – by building an Anderson Shelter at the end of his garden.

Trad Casey, 58, has kitted out his retro retreat with a bed, a comfy chair and all the wartime essentials including a gas mask, a first aid kit and a tin hat.

He has also stocked up on some tasty old-fashioned supplies – and often takes cover there when life on the home front gets a bit much.

Trad explained: “My daughter comes home in the winter and my wife and her will be nattering away and watching the telly.

“When that happens, I could go up the pub and spend a fortune, or sit in there and have a few drinks. It’s surprisingly pleasant.

“I’ve got a wood burner in there and on a really cold night in the winter, I’ll sit in there and have a couple of pints and cook some spam on the fire.”

Designed in 1938, Anderson shelters were made with galvanised corrugated steel and were meant to be partially buried in gardens as a defence against air raids.

Around 1.5 million were distributed between February 1939 and the start of the war in July. A further 2.1 million were put up before it ended in September 1945.

Trad, a marine plumber, from Weymouth, Dorset, became fascinated with civilian life during the conflict after chatting to his gran about her experiences.

He said: I quite like learning about how people lived during the war. Probably about five, six years ago, I had this idea I’d like to have an Anderson Shelter.

“You dig a hole, between three and four foot deep, you pile up all the soil and then you construct the thing like they would have done.

“Then all of the soil that you dug out of the hole goes on top.”

Trad seized the chance to build his shelter during lockdown.

And he admitted: “I had a real job digging it out. I think that probably took me three or four weeks.

“But it was still during Covid and I had some time, so I really went for it. I wanted to get it done.”

The original Anderson shelters – named after wartime civil defence minister Sir John Anderson were issued free to low-income households. Higher earners had to pay £7 – about £500 in today’s money.

Trad’s replica shelter cost around £400. And he has reused an original facade that spent the war in Chapelhay, a heavily-bombed area in his hometown.

It now really looks the part in Trad’s garden, which is home to other relics from the past, including an old lawn mower and roller.

He said: “Some might think it’s weird – I mean, you’ve got to be a bit weird to put one in your garden, I suppose.

“But you know what blokes are like with man caves.

“No matter how old they are, it’s still like when you’re a kid and you had a den.

“So, yeah, I do enjoy it. It’s quite nice. It’s just relaxing.”